Green sales urged to help give wind power a push

 (The Standard P.9  31 Dec 2012) An environmental group is calling for (需要) the introduction of green electricity certificates(可再生能源驗證) to encourage the community to share the cost of developing wind power.

Greenpeace said electricity users have to shoulder(承擔) the cost of developing wind energy and certificates will help do this.

The organization hopes the scheme will stabilize electricity tariffs(穩定電價).

It believes the matter should be included in the interim review (年期檢討) of the Scheme of Control Agreement (利潤管制協議) next year.

Last month, Greenpeace commissioned (委託) the University of Hong Kong's Public Opinion Programme (香港大學民意研究計劃) to conduct a survey of 1,031 respondents and compare the results with those of a similar survey carried out by the Census and Statistics Department (政府統計處) in 2003.

It found that 73.9percent welcomed the introduction of


renewable energy as against 63percent nine years ago.
 

In addition, 71.9percent said they will use renewable energy, a significant (顯著的) increase from 31.9percent in 2003.

The two electricity companies are developing windmills and will study the feasibility (可行性) of such power next year.

Campaigner Argo Yeung Man-yau suggested the 

 certificates be introduced before review of the
agreement.
 

"The certificates are issued by the government based on the electricity generated from wind power, and which corporations (有限公司) and individuals(個體戶) can purchase voluntarily(自動地) from the two companies to reduce carbon emissions (碳排放)," Yeung said.

The government should regulate (控制) companies over the sale of 50percent of the certificates in order to obtain (獲得) the permitted (允許) return of 11percent for renewable energy (再生能源), he added.

Senior campaigner Prentice Koo Wai- muk said: "HSBC has been purchasing certificates every year from the United States to fulfill (履行) its goal of reducing carbon emissions. The concept (概念) is like buying securities(保障).

Beatrice Siu "